Right now, there are doubts about Tennessee offensive tackle Trey Smith’s career in football. He didn’t participate in spring practices for the Vols due to undisclosed health concerns, but head coach Jeremy Pruitt has said that Smith is showing progress and has been working out this offseason.
If Smith is able to play this fall, he figures to be the Vols’ most talented player on their 2018 roster. And one college football media outlet thinks he’s the best offensive tackle across all of college football.
Scouting Insiders listed Smith as their No. 1 offensive tackle in the FBS heading into the 2018 season. The rising sophomore lineman topped a list of 10 players that featured four other SEC tackles. Ole Miss junior Gregory Little (2nd), Alabama sophomore Alex Leatherhead (4th), Georgia sophomore Andrew Thomas (7th), and Florida senior Martez Ivey (8th) finished behind Smith in their rankings.
As a true freshman, Smith turned heads on the offensive line. The Vols’ offensive line as a whole struggled, but Smith shined in his first year with Tennessee. He was the only Tennessee lineman to start all 12 games, and he earned All-SEC and Freshman All-American honors after the season.
The former five-star recruit out of Jackson, TN figures to be a starter for the Vols on the offensive line even with the new coaching change this past year and even though he missed all of spring. If he returns healthy and fully ready to go for the 2018 season, he should be able to build off what was a stellar freshman campaign and put together an even better sophomore year.
Earlier this offseason, Athlon Sports named Smith a 1st Team All-SEC player for their preseason all-conference teams. He was the only Vol to make the 1st team.
